Food-Borne Illnesses Stem from Maintenance Issues
ASHEBORO, NC (Feb. 17, 2009) – A leaking pipe can not only cost a company more than $100,000, but it can also lead to deaths from food-borne illnesses, such as salmonella in peanut butter.
That’s according to Joel Leonard.
Dubbed “The Maintenance Evangelist,” because of his efforts to increase awareness of engineering and maintenance fields, he has keynoted international conferences, written numerous articles for Plant Services Magazine and Canada’s Plant Engineering and Maintenance Magazine, been featured on National Public Radio, CNBC and UNC-TV, and is writing a book slated for release in spring 2009. In January 2008, he collaborated with Putman Media, Inc. to launch SkillTV.net, the first online video channel dedicated to discussing and solving what he calls “The Maintenance Crisis.”
“In 2007 ConAgra’s salmonella outbreak, the peanut butter issue was attributed to leaky pipes that caused contamination. On Monday it was announced on ABC’s Good Morning America that a leaky roof allowed bird feces to wash into the process. Now, that’s a good breeding ground for trouble!”
Leonard’s platform is that typically top management people do not consider the long-term cost of repairing and maintaining leaky pipes, valves and roofs. “They think the problem will go away. They don’t understand that by initially solving the problem, they’ll save thousands, if not millions, of dollars down the road. And in this case, it could have saved many lives and potentially kept the company owner out of jail.”
He says in his travels he sees this same philosophy worldwide. “Maintenance engineers are facing unbelievable challenges in trying to balance costs, productivity and keep the boss happy.”
While in Dubai in December, Leonard interviewed an engineer who is over the maintenance of 97 oil platforms in the Persian Gulf. Part of his job was to renovate and paint the pipes, to prevent them from leaking. An accountant wanted to “save” money by eliminating the $6 million paint budget. If the engineer had not stepped in and explained the repercussion of that decision, the new renovations would only last three of the normal life span of fifteen years – the pipes would have leaked, employees could have been killed and a serious environmental risk to the Persian Gulf could have occurred.
“Sometimes CFOs and CEOs just don’t think longterm. A little preventive maintenance today can not only generate profits but also save lives tomorrow.”
Beijing, China 4- 5 June 2009
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